WOODCLIFF LAKE—The borough is standing firm against allowing right-hand turns at Parkway Exit 171, reaffirming a 1984 legal agreement that requires the borough’s unanimous consent for any changes. The Borough Council voted unanimously on Oct. 21 to uphold the stipulation in a settlement with the New Jersey Highway Authority and Bergen County, citing safety concerns over Glen Road’s narrow, winding route through residential neighborhoods in both Woodcliff Lake and Park Ridge.
On Oct. 23, Mayor Carlos A. Rendo announced he’d just sent the borough’s statement to the Turnpike Authority and Bergen County officials, copying a number of other high officials, and told residents, “We will not allow another municipality dictate what we do in Woodcliff Lake!”
The original agreement, known as the Stipulation of Settlement and Consent Order, was established to resolve a legal dispute surrounding the construction of Parkway Exit 171. As part of the settlement, Woodcliff Lake agreed to dismiss its pending litigation and make necessary roadway improvements, while the Highway Authority agreed to restrict right-hand turns from the northbound exit ramp onto Glen Road unless it received unanimous consent from Woodcliff Lake, Bergen County, and the Turnpike Authority.
“The reason for the prohibition against right-hand turns was that Glen Road was and is a narrow and winding road that transverses through residential neighborhoods both in Woodcliff Lake and in Park Ridge,” Rendo said in the letter to New Jersey Turnpike Authority Executive Director James Carone in Woodbridge.
The issue resurfaced recently when the Borough of Montvale requested that the New Jersey Turnpike Authority reevaluate the no-right-turn rule. In response, Woodcliff Lake’s council voted to reaffirm its commitment to the 1984 settlement, expressing concern over potential safety risks if the restriction were lifted. Rendo emphasized that the borough’s consent is required for any changes at Exit 171.
“On Oct. 21, 2024, the Woodcliff Lake Council unanimously reaffirmed our commitment to the Settlement Order, which expressly requires Woodcliff Lake’s consent before changes are made to Parkway Exit 171,” Rendo said. A copy of the council’s resolution was included with the letter, along with documentation of discussions with the Borough of Park Ridge, which also supports keeping the restriction in place.
On Oct. 18, for our report “Ghassali ‘grandstanding’ on Exit 171 turn petition? Neighboring towns tap brake lights on Montvale mayor’s vision for traffic relief, affordable housing lawsuit,” Park Ridge Mayor Keith Misciagna expressed his opposition to allowing right-hand turns from Parkway Exit 171, citing concerns over increased traffic and safety on local roads. While acknowledging Montvale’s request for a reevaluation, Misciagna told us that allowing such turns would “negatively impact the residents of Park Ridge as well as Woodcliff Lake.” He emphasized that the change would likely worsen congestion and could require millions of dollars to reconfigure the exit. Misciagna also dismissed claims that he had proposed installing a traffic light to back up traffic, clarifying that he has always viewed the matter as a safety issue.
Ghassali’s petition to allow right-hand turns at Exit 171 North had yielded more than 1,973 signatures by Oct. 24; Rendo and others on his dais said the borough was not budging. Woodcliff Lake councilman Joshua Stern in a Facebook Live event recently said Ghassali had no studies to prove allowing right-hand turns would ease traffic congestion at Exit 172 in Montvale or Exit 168 in the Township of Washington. Moreover, Rendo said Montvale should solve its own problems, created by its own “overdevelopment.” He suggested they revisit creating another parkway exit or speak with NJ Turnpike Authority officials.
Ghassali also has pointed out the 1984 agreement initially was saved on what is today outdated technology: a A 5 1/4-inch diskette, also known as a floppy disk.
This isn’t the first time the issue has been raised. In 2015, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority declined a similar request from Montvale, stating there were no “negative impacts to the operation of the Parkway in this area resulting from interchange 171” and that the matter was a “local issue and as such, should be addressed at the Municipal and County levels.” Woodcliff Lake submitted a copy of the 2015 correspondence as part of its case.
Rendo also suggested that any traffic study conducted by the Turnpike Authority should examine the broader region, including the possibility of an additional Parkway entrance and exit on Summit Avenue in Montvale—a project Montvale has previously indicated it would be willing to pay for.
“We believe that it should be a regional study and should specifically examine the possibility of an additional Parkway entrance and exit on Summit Avenue in Montvale,” Rendo wrote.
Copies of the letter were sent to Bergen County Executive James Tedesco; Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-39); the mayors of surrounding municipalities, including Park Ridge’s Misciagna and Montvale’s Ghassali; and Kevin Dunn and Leo Schaeffer, leading operations for the Turnpike Authority.
The Borough of Woodcliff Lake says it awaits further communication from the Turnpike Authority on the matter.